Tags

Monday, November 29, 2010

I have a new obsession. It is chalkboard paint. I want to put it on everything. Well, not really everything but I'm sure Fred feels that way. He thinks I've gone crazy since the last few projects I've done involve chalkboards in some way. I just really think there are some creative things you can do with it, and after perusing the Internet I've seem some inspiring ideas and am just itching to try them.

But for now I am sharing with you my two most recent chalkboard paint creations.

This project was used for Mason's birthday party. I originally wanted to make a sign digitally but being so busy it just wasn't coming together. On one of my many shopping trips to Target, I came across this mirror in the clearance section. It was bright magenta and just really awful looking, but it was only $2 and I thought, I can just spray paint the pink white and make this a chalkboard. Which is exactly what I did. (After it was all done I thought that I should have gotten some before pictures to show the transformation, but you live and learn). I thought it would take many coats to cover that pink and Fred didn't think it would stick to the plastic but it only took two and worked great. And the chalkboard paint worked perfectly on the glass. I know I have to be careful cause it still is glass and breakable which is why it will have a permanent home in my craft room. The sign worked great for Mason's party and now I can use it for jotting down ideas for scrapbooking and other crafts.

This one came about after some creative Internet searching. I've seen these mini clipboards at A.C. Moore and just thought they were so cute and wanted to buy some but not sure of what to do with them other than use them as mini clipboards (which, yeah that would be cute), but I wanted something a little more creative. So I stumbled upon this post about travel clipboard chalkboards she made her children. While she used regular size clipboards, I immediately thought of the mini ones and ran out to grab one and give it a try.

For both of these projects, I decided to use the chalkboard spray paint as opposed to the regular paint. Seeing as I didn't have much luck with the magnetic paint I tried in my craft room. It doesn't hold anything and is really a worthless brown section on my wall. Most people said the spray paint for these small projects works better and I have to say it worked perfectly. I am impressed with how well it covered and how easily it was to make just about anything a chalkboard.

As always, Mason had a say in the details. He gets so excited over my projects and is so eager to help with anything these days. I love that attitude about him. He picked out this owl paper and it's been sitting in a special place for months. I thought this would be the perfect project to use it, because eventually I know it would make it into his hands and he would be able to draw on it, practice writing on it and keep himself busy in boring situations. Well at least that was my hope. But mostly I intended to use this idea as a memo board to jot down messages, a phone number, etc.

To make this, I unscrewed the metal clip and set it aside. Then I spray painted the entire clipboard. I used two coats and alternated the direction of spray. That is key to making sure you have a smooth, even surface. Then I let it sit for 24 hours. Once dry, I measured and cut the paper and attached it with adhesive. Then Mason helped pick out the ribbon (orange of course). I ran it through my xyron sticker maker and attached it. Then I gave it and the paper a once over with Mod Podge. The felt owl came as a sticker and I added that last. I tied a pieced of chalk to string that was tied to the metal clip I reattached once the board was dry. Mason promptly broke the chalk in half.The directions tell you to condition the paint by covering the surface once over with the chalk and then erasing, which I did, but I think on larger surfaces that would be too difficult and really messy. I think it would work just fine even if you skip this step.

I think it came out rather nice. I just need to find a place to properly hang it where Fred won't look at it and go nuts, that it is just one more thing hanging up in the house. Maybe I should just leave it in the car for Mason to use. Either way I think it came out nice and I totally plan on making some more.